I’m no stranger to being threatened by gangs.
That’s not a brag…
I used to live in a gang-infested armpit of New Mexico that was a major drug-trafficking hub on the “Heroin Trail” from Mexico to the U.S.
The depressed economy in that area, mixed with poor schools, broken families, and heavy alcohol and drug abuse, made it a prime recruiting ground for a few L.A. gangs – most notably, the Bario 18 (“18th Street“) and Los Surenos.
I’ve seen hordes of these guys out cruising in their cars, always on the lookout for a“target of opportunity”…
…a lone person exiting the convenient store
…an elderly person who looks like an “easy target”
…or even a couple walking to their car at night who the thugs feel they can make cower in fear when threatened – sometimes just for the fun of it!
Now, you may not live in a “gang land” environment filled with the asocial predators of our society – but the bangers I interacted with in my security work in this area didn’t care who you were…
… and they’ll target you no matter where you live!
Frankly, these days nearly every medium-sized town has some sort of “gang presence”, whether you know it or not.
I learned quite a few valuable lessons about being vigilant to the unexpected danger around me where I live and destinations I travel and I can tell you…
Forget All Of The “Best Case Scenarios” Most People Typically Train For! When It Comes To Real Attacks, You MUST Realize That…
Most Targeted Attacks Are Going To Force You To Face MULTIPLE Attackers !
Now the first thing I’ll tell you is that, if you’re ever in a situation where you’re threatened by 2, 3, 4, or more aggressors, your best “defense” is to RUN!
There’s absolutely no shame at all in this response and no matter how “skilled” you may think you are, there’s always the danger of that unknown “X factor” that can ruin your day (or life)!
But I also realize that there are times when running away isn’t an option, right?
It could be that you’re not as “fit” as your assailants… or there may not be anywhere to run to… or (heaven forbid) you could be with your family and they need you there to protect them.
In that case, if you’re being targeted and you have two or more thugs get up in your face, you may only have one option…
… to FIGHT!
And let me tell you… when the odds are stacked against you and you realize you have no choice but to defend yourself, you damn well better be the first one to land a strike or you’re a goner – but…
Whenever I’m Training Students On How To Defeat Multiple Attackers In A Real Street Attack, The Question ALWAYS Comes Up…
…”Who Should I Strike FIRST When Facing 2, 3, 4, Or Even MORE Aggressors?”
Now I know that some instructors might tell you to “single out the leader of the group”…
But this is the entirely WRONG way to approach things!
Instead, your answer depends almost entirely on your best “tactical escape” depending on the scenario you’re in.
In other words, your goal may be to clear a way to an exit door or to get to your car to get out of Dodge… in which case whoever is in your direct path to your escape route is the one you should strike.
BUT… if you see that one attacker is right in front of a chair or small table, you may strike him instead, knowing that you can force him to fall over the obstacle he may not even realize is behind him.
But What If You Could Take Out TWO Attackers – Or Even More – At The Same Time… With Just ONE Strike?
Here’s How To Deploy A Simple Science-Based Trick To Use Attackers Against Each Other In A Real Fight…
Ok, I’ll tell you right now that you’ll only have a split-second to get this right…
.. but even if you screw it up, it’s still going to work in your favor!
1. Choose The Most “Useful” Attacker
The most “useful” attacker is going to be based on your tactical “escape analysis” of your environment.
For example, it may be the one who…
… is most directly in line with your path to the exit door
… is opposite a table, chair, parking lot divider, or other obstacle
… or doesn’t look as engaged in fighting as his accomplice(s).
The key here though is that you want someone on the outside edge of whoever you’re facing.
2. Explode To Their Flank
Before you make your move, you must be fully aware of your target’s position in relation to his accomplices.
When you know you’re not getting out of this without a fight, instantly take a wide (stable) step to the outside flank of the attacker you’ve chosen.
This has a couple of benefits for you…
… at the very least, this instantly increases your odds of victory because it makes you a “moving target” vs. a “sitting duck”…
… and it also uses one of the scumbags as an obstacle so the other doesn’t have an easy attack-line on you.
But again, you’ve gotta do this FAST!
Your goal is to try to step wide enough that you’re lining your chosen target up with the guy next to him, but also close enough that you have a stable foundation for your next move…
3. Push Through The Closest Attacker’s Head
As soon as you have him in line with the guy closest to him – with all your might, strike with both hands straight through the head of your first attacker!
No playing patty-cake here, Warrior…
You want to try to knock his head clear off his shoulders and send it into the next county!
If you do it right, you’ll force the first attacker off-balance and he’ll fall into the man next to him, causing them BOTH to be off-balance – even if only for a few seconds.
Take a look at this “multiple attacker scenario” diagram…
This simple trick is a really powerful move and it may be all you need to either escape along your previously identified path to safety… OR follow up with a powerful strike to a vital target to take one (or both) out of the fight quickly.
(Note: This is a powerful move and will even work against much larger and stronger attackers – but it MUST be done correctly.
This strike is one of the primary I show you how to do in our “Defeat Larger Attackers” course here…)
Of course, there are certain “follow-up” tactics that work better than others – especially when you’re talking about facing bigger, stronger attackers or surviving something as serious as a multiple attacker scenario.
When it comes to surviving a violent attack, you CAN’T rely on size or strength because you never know who you’re going to face.
But it doesn’t take hours of training to master these critical self-defense skills.
My father-in-law loved riding his motors (Honda motorcycles) where he lived in the mountains. This was when he was in his mid to late 70’s. Coming back from a ride, one day, he had ridden through large pack of ‘Hell’s Angels’ riders,’ and it probably ‘spooked’ him a bit. He just said to me, ‘you know son, bak-in-tha-day I could pretty much handle myself in most any confrontation. In my Arthritic condition today, I’d just have to ‘shoot’em!’ He never went anywhere without his trusty 1911 .45 ACP. Having spent his life hunting and shooting, he was more than skilled with firearms. My son related that he would place small stones on the porch railing and his ‘grandpaw’ would cackle each time he shot the stone off without putting as much as a scratch on that railing! 😉 I’m now well past my ‘Use By Date,’ living on Grace day to day, and like my FIL, running away is no longer an option and ‘I’d Just Have To Shoot’em!’ 😉
I have always believed in going directly at one guy, grab one body part, like a finger, nose, eye; and Kill It. He is then DONE. If this is done quick enough, you will have only had to absorb two strikes max. You then bend at the waist, grabbing the ankle of the one closest to you, and simply run away as Fast As Possible. You turn near a bldg., car, pole or anything stationary, and fling his body into it, as you run past. His body slams into the object, with his head, and then He is DONE. Now it is much more of a ‘fair fight’ if such a thing exists. This WORKS.
OR- grab a weapon. They are all around you. Such is the windshield wiper of a car. Snap off a piece, and then jam the broken end into the jugular of the attacker. Or in the eye, nose, mouth, or ear.
Then have a Nice(r) day than they will!
You gotta be, perhaps, a Sumo wrestler with running back speed. 😉
Too old to fight.
Too slow to run.
Too tired to argue.
So I’ll just shoot you.
I hear a hard open-palm hand smack to the ear is very painful:)
but ya gotta be quick and able to reach the ear if he’s much taller.
I have always been told to cup your hand before you hit the ear because the extra pressure it causes will burst the ear drum.
I have been old now for a long time. I use either a rolling walker for walking any distance, or use a cane for short distances. The cane is attached to my walker with a magnet so I grab it quickly.
I have trained with various types of sticks and can still use my cane and other linear items to end a fight. One thing, however, is inviolable. I never, ever, handle, present, show, or indicate in any way that I would use my cane as a weapon. If that is done, especially often, any time the stick or cane has to be used in a life and death defense situation (the only time it ever will be), law enforcement and especially prosecutors and protagonist’s attorneys will use the fact to try and prove that you are a person just looking for a fight and will use your stick to harass, intimidate, and attack others for no good reason.
The stick is only used for situations where I cannot get away from the situation in some non-aggressive way, feel like my life (or someone else’s life) is in danger, and there is no one else that can help me control the situation do I/would I use the stick for self-defense. And since it would only be used in a life & death situation, it would be used to immediately stop any attacker(s) from being able to continue their attack in any way, or give me a guaranteed ability to get away safely.
Even before I started carrying a walking stick this basic premise of self-defense was trained and ingrained into me by my father initially, and the with my own self-directed training and practice.
Although my father fought Golden Gloves, and even coached for a while, he taught me a saying by which I still lived: I do not fight for fun, I do not fight for sport, I do not fight for being insulted or called names, I do not fight for any other reason except when a life is in danger, safe escape is impossible, and I can prevent harm from coming to someone, myself included.
It has served me well the last 72 years.
One other aspect of self-defense that my father initially taught me as a child and I continued following on my own as an adult, was to always try to have a safe exit plan in every situation I encounter, whether a self-defense situation or some type of emergency event. Also, that there is almost always something at hand, either because you already have it, or have seen one or more items during your scan of the area that you can use for self-defense, or for escape, evasion, survival, or helping someone during an emergency.
There are many other things that my father taught me based on his experiences and training, including several ideas of his own, that I have carried with me my entire adult life to this day. Though I have had to come close, I have never had to fight for my life (in general life situations, though not necessarily during legally endorsed conflict), though I have stepped in to control situations when other people were being threatened.
All just my opinion.
“The little guy!” ALWAYS, ALWAYS has a Weapon so take him “Out!” First, & “When facing Multiple Attackers, be as Lethal as possible.”, you may be crippled for life or worse if Defeated by a Gang Assault.
If possible carry any improvised weapons that inflicts severe pain on whoever you decide to strike first. Then escape, or push the first person in front you to the ones in front of the others. A tactical pen is the best thing to have on you.
There are no rules in a fight. Brick or stick,no head can withstand. You can also jump on and ride that head right into the pavement, not advised if there is more than one because then you have to get your bloody ass up. Whatever you do Move & stay off the ground if you can.
I always carry a knife and a gun with me so I really don’t worry about this stuff too much. Secondly, bad guys always pick a victim that they think will be easy. If you don’t look easy they will pick someone else. Caveat, if there are three or more attackers then they don’t care who they attack because they have the numerical advantage. That’s why I carry a gun and a knife.
Do you have a coarse?
Yes Spencer… go ahead and use any of the links in this blog post and it will take you to the course this post was based on.
Stay alert, watch for cues a place or situation is a bad place to be and leave. Don’t be there. Avoiding is better than fighting.
WAY better! 🙂
Thanks for adding to the conversation Bob!
Stay calm. Look them straight in the eye and grin. This makes them think that you have The way to take them out and you’re just waiting for the chance to prove it. This will remove a lot of their self confidence and begin looking for a way out of any confrontation.
Actually, all this does is give them a good laugh. And as for you; while you could have been doing something massive to one of them, you are now about to be pummeled while smirking. Not good.
LOL. Prolly correct; however, you might recall what ‘Riggs’ did AFTER “showing them what ‘crazy’ looked like? Had them ‘under his gun’ rather rapidly. My recommendation is to keep your head on a swivel, and allow nobody to get within arms distance, especially, on whichever side you carry your Sam Colt equalizer!
As I noted elsewhere, I’m oldt, und no longer able to run away, much less drag anybody with me, but I maintain the ability to put two rounds on target in under 2 seconds from concealment, AND I am ARMED 24/7. In closer proximity, those holes would appear closer to 1 second, as was said in my day, “No Brag, Just Fact.” One last thought. Being old, I would not be slowed by needing to ‘asses’ the situation, or make some decision about using ‘lethal force.’ I’m not going to jail or spend the first dime of my grandkid’s meager inheritance on some shyster lawyer’s attempt to keep me out of jail! YMMV if quite a bit younger.
Or, maybe even start laughing like a crazy person…
‘Lethal Weapon’ comes to mind! 😉
That will give you about one second to follow it up with something violent.